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Kiera Timme
In Chapter 10, of Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, the author Thomas Armstrong describes what he refers to as “authentic assessment” (Armstrong, p131). Authentic assessment is a context based way of measuring student success. Unlike standardized tests, MI incorporated assessment assess student success in terms of the real world. According to the text the two important components of authentic assessment are observations and documentation. The chapter provides several documentation ideas which include: anecdotal records, work samples, videos, student journals, and audio files. Armstrong notes that there are several assessment projects that have been started which are founded on MI principles, such as the “Key Learning Community”(Armstrong, p135) project in which video portfolios are developed to monitor student progress. These videos are passed on to each subsequent teacher throughout the student’s academic career. Moreover, this chapter describes the ways in which MI theory provides not only eight instructional approaches, but eight different means of assessment.
As the text stated, if I intend to use MI theory to help me assess students, then I will also need to use it when I am teaching students. I definitely support the idea of assessing students in a real-world setting. I don’t believe standardized tests, or any single test, can provide a full picture of a students’ achievements. I think the idea that we continuously collect data, taking snapshots of a student’ progress throughout the course of the unit would be a more effective means of accurately assessing student ability. Personally, I do not mind how students show me they are learning, as long as they can demonstrate they are achieving the desired goals. My job as the teacher is to make sure I create an environment where this is possible.
Frank Makuch
The chapter goes over different ways to assess multiple intelligences. If we teach by appealing to different intelligences, then we should perform assessments using similar practices as well. There is also an idea of authentic context in which students show what they know in a practical application. The chapter lists and explains many different ways of assessment, too many to list here. Some assessment projects have been conducted in different schools throughout the country. Among these was Arts Propel which was a five year high school arts project. The focus was on domain projects, or exercises and activities to develop sensitivity to compositional features, and processfolios, which were collections of student work through the process of creation. The chapter went through many ways to phrase a question so that it would work for different multiple intelligences. These are creative ways to get the student thinking critically. Most standardized test appeal to linguistic intelligences. This is unfair to students who are not proficient in that area but are still critical thinkers who just think in a different way. Portfolios are an exciting new idea being developed. Portfolios show so many things, they help students reflect on their work, celebrate their work, and allow parents to see what students are doing. This is important in a classroom with multiple intelligences. In my classroom I will try to incorporate many of the intelligences when thinking about assessment. I understand that standardized test do not give certain people a fair chance at showing what they know about a subject.
Garrett Hodgkins
Chapter 10 goes over the importance of assessing students in a differentiated way, dealing with all of the multiple intelligences. It stresses the point of what is the use of teaching them in a differentiated way if you are only going to test them in a standard way? They may have learned the material in a way that was best suited to their learning style, but when tested in an opposite way all of that might as well have gone out the window. It further goes into different ways that you can assess how a student is doing in a particular area from observing particular actions or work they have done, along with how to relate assessment questions to each area of intelligence ( I particularly loved the Huck Finn examples). This chapter gave me some good insight on what I will have to do if I expect to have a differentiated classroom, and how to assess that differentiated classroom. It showed the importance of not only teaching to address all students' intelligences, but to also assess them in the same way. If a student learns a subject in a way that suits his intelligence, but is only assessed in something the opposite, it is not assessing that student fairly. I really enjoyed the examples they gave on how to form questions to suit each learning style, and that is certainly something i will use in a future classroom.
Sean Falasca
Chapter 10 covers assessment. Basically, if we can allow students to learn in eight different ways or more, then why should we test them only one way? Standardized test are great for logical/mathematical intelligences, but does not truly incorporate every type of learner. Designing different ways for each type of learner to show you they actually understand content and didn’t just memorize it for a test is when true learning takes place. I feel like teachers have been teaching “How to Take a Standardized Test” for far too long. What good is it to a student when they need certain skills later in life, but forgot them because they didn’t have a full understanding and only memorized specific answers just to pass the test. So, observe your students and see them exhibit signs of what type of learner they are. We can definitely assess eight or more different ways if we know students learn eight or more different ways. When I have my own classroom I will ensure my students that they will not be left behind and that I will always teach to their needs and not mine. Also, I like the idea of keeping a journal or folder of student work so that I know what each of my students need to learn and what type of work they are capable of. I think its something all teachers should do with every student they. Collaborating with colleagues to build a file or journal for a student for each class or grade level can show the growth of a student over their academic career. These are also good because parents love this type of assessment rather than just a letter grade. Showing evidence that you care about the success of their child and the advancement of their knowledge over the years would make any parent happy.
Tori Penney
Chapter 10 of MI focuses on assessment and how to properly assess student’s mastery through their different MI’s. The purpose of assessment is to make sure that the students honestly understand what they should have learned. Just as students learn in many different ways, they also show what they have learned in many different ways. Tests just don’t cut it for every student. Especially standardized tests, which simply test whether or not a student can recall memorized information quickly and easily, not whether or not they understand the concepts and can use them. As a teacher, I should let students show me their progress in a way other than a test, to make sure I am actually seeing that the student has mastered the content, and not that they can simply pass my test or understand my questions. Like I said earlier, I feel like teachers are just trying to see if students can read their minds. Tests are not supposed to be puzzles. A great example of a teacher that gave me the option was my high school English AP Lit Teacher, for our final project she let us choose. We presented her with our ideas, and if she felt it would document our understanding, she would allow it. I made a mixed CD with songs about Lord of the Flies, and I made a lyric booklet with both the lyrics and why the song was relevant to the book. It was lots of fun. I plan on doing these kinds of assessments in my classroom.
Tess Perry
Integrating the MI theory and assessment can be done successfully. Chapter 10 concentrated on combining the MI theory and assessment. The traditional method of assessment, paper and pencil, question and answer, can be used but it will not provide the teacher with well-rounded evidence of student mastery. Using MI during the assessment process will allow students to express their competency of the subject in a variety of ways. If a is student is not strong in the linguist intelligence they will not be able to articulate their understanding in an essay, but may be able to express their understanding in a different method, creating an interpretive dance (kinesthetic) or by singing a song (musical). One example of assessment using multiple intelligences mentioned in this chapter was to have the students create an MI portfolio. MI portfolios allow students to exhibit evidence of comprehension in a variety of ways. This will also show the teacher the student’s knowledge and skills and provide ample evidence of mastery. Creating MI portfolios that display student’s work in a variety of intelligences will be used in my classroom. Showing off student’s talents and abilities should be a priority. Developing areas in which students are skilled appeals to students and keeps them engaged in schoolwork. Also, by incorporating all 8 MIs in the portfolios will enable students to have the opportunity to develop other MIs that they may not be as developed in. Using other MIs will only enhance their overall learning and growth. I think that by assessing students knowledge in a variety of ways will benefit the teachers understanding and appreciation for all her students. If teachers expect all students to excel at one specific task many talented students will not be able to showcase their abilities.
Kaitlyn Bowie
The focus of this chapter is on utilizing the multiple intelligence practices an then using those same practices when it comes to assessments. Standardized testing forces students to recall information quickly and in an unnatural setting, which is not conducive to accurate scoring. True assessments are meant to draw out what students have learned and build upon it in a conscious way. These kinds of assessments also match closely to the context in which the student learned so as to jog that part of their brain. Multiple intelligence assessment also gives students options in the way they want to be assessed. Whether this is orally, physically, or through writing, it appeals to a student’s comfort level. This is not meant to make the test easier in terms of content, but easier in terms of cognitive figuring. A teacher can further reinforce this positive association with assessment by quickly correcting and providing feedback for the student, so that they can build upon what they had correct and what they had wrong. This idea of pushing multiple intelligence theory beyond instruction is both new and intriguing to me. It makes sense that a student who receives alternative teaching instruction on a daily basis would still have trouble with traditional testing. Some of my past teachers were willing to allow alternative projects when it came to sub-units, but would rarely ever an alternative to unit exams. I certainly would have had instances where I would have felt better writing a paper of some sort than sitting down for an exam, but I never felt asking for an alternative was a option. I believe I would like to extend that option to my students, but I would require significant proof that they would not physically be able to take the exam or I felt that their knowledge was not accurately being exhibited.
Jon Delorme
Chapter 10 – MI Theory and Assessment
The challenge for educators is to make an assessment that authentically measures the learning that a student accomplishes from a lesson. Chapter 10 discusses the downfall of standardized tests and explains how we can combine assessment and Multiple Intelligences theory. One authentic assessment type is simply observing the student while he or she solves problems. Documenting student observations through anecdotal records, work samples, audio files, and many more are a great way to keep a running record of students. This information can then be used to cater to the student’s needs. I like the idea of keeping small notes, but I do not know if I should ethically videotape my students? I need more clarification on when and how this would be appropriate.
One of the most important points made in the chapter is, “the theory of multiple intelligences suggests that any instructional objective can be taught in at least eight different ways, so too does it imply that any subject can be assessed in at least eight different ways (136).” Meaning, why do we need standardized tests that only allow students to express what they learned linguistically or logically-mathematically? Thomas Armstrong gives us the example of Huck Finn. Instead of a multiple choice questions (resembling the SATs), students should be allowed to pick from eight different types of answers, all connected to one multiple intelligence. As a teacher it is important for me to remember that choice in assessment is key. In history much is linguistic. But my challenge is to allow my students to express themselves in whatever way suits them best. When I start to draft up my own test questions and projects I need to always be vigilant that I account for my different learners.
Caroline Murphy
I really liked everything the chapter had to say about measuring students’ process against their own achievement, as opposed to measuring them only against each other or against a standard that someone else has set for them. Improvement and progress are definitely very important in the classroom, but if a student is improving compared to their own performance, isn’t that all that matters? Understandably, there is a level of proficiency that we want all students to reach, and it’s not to say that we shouldn’t still be aiming high for our students. However, I think it is reasonable that if a student continues to progress further and further based on their own achievement, we can assume that the curriculum and instruction has been a success and, barring a change in significant factors, the student will continue to improve. I think a major idea that both this book and Fair Isn’t Always Equal are trying to emphasize is that assessment should have a positive foundation. It should encourage progress and personal accomplishment instead of just numbers and scores. The chapter is right that we can’t differentiate instruction but not assessment; the personalized learning approach has to be carried through in all levels of learning. What I learned from this chapter is that assessment can be adapted to suit all levels of learning and forms of intelligence, and as teachers it is our duty to find ways to design tests and projects around the needs of our students so that we can get an accurate picture of their success in school.
Alison Hutchins
This chapter was another one that talked very in depth about student assessment. This one in particular put focus on testing students and measuring how they are progressing based on their earlier work, rather than by pitting them against other students. Another interesting topic it talked about was assessing different learning styles. It talks about how even if you do teach with multiple learning styles, unless you find ways to tap into these while doing assessments, you will not really know how well that differentiated instruction worked. This is why allowing students opportunities to use their strengths to show you what they know is really important. MI portfolios are another great way to monitor student growth while also helping to differentiate their instruction and assessment. As stated in an earlier posts, I really like the idea of portfolios to show student and teacher alike how that particular learner is progressing.
This is also all really important when it comes to keeping a student's interest. I, personally, enjoy writing essays, but I also like to break out and express my understanding in more creative formats when given the opportunity. I believe that students learn best when they are comfortable, and that working with their strengths will only help them grow. Giving students ways to express what they know in whatever way they feel that they can best convey that understanding, as well as letting them create something that will really hold and accelerate their interest in the context at hand, is something that I believe will play a very important role in my future classroom.
Amy Jones
Chapter 10 focuses on authentic assessments. It provides examples of different assessment strategies that were very helpful. Some of the examples are:
Anecdotal records: journal of each student
Work samples: samples of their own work
Audio files: Record the student being himself and also throughout their learning process
Video: Record presentations or group study times
Student Journals: Have them reflect, doodle and communicate with you
Student-Kept charts: have them create visual aid in their progress throughout the year
Sociograms: visual record of student interactions
Informal assessments: non standardized test
Informal use of Standardized tests: Relax the time limits, have them answer through drawings music and many more ways
Student interviews: have an open stream of communication
The chapter also states that “the most important prerequisite to authentic assessment is observation”( pg 131), which as teachers makes sense. I feel as though assessing students with actual pieces of work is easier to grade, but assessing the student on if they really understand the information can be easily accomplished by simply observing the student.
The chapter goes onto explain how just by rewording different tasks you can help your students learning in the way that they learn best.
Developing portfolios was also mentioned in this chapter. There are goals that need to be reached with these portfolios and they are easily remembered by “the five c’s of portfolio development” ( pg 143)
Celebration: acknowledge students accomplishments during the year.
Cognition: helping students reflect on their work
Communication: to communicate with those in the students life to share how they are progressing
Cooperation: to help students produce and evaluate each other’s work
Competency: establish criteria by which the students work can be compared to another
This chapter was very informative and it gave me some great ideas when assessing my students.
Molly Olsen
This chapter begins explaining that it simply wouldn't make any sense to teach a curriculum through all eight intelligences and then give a test rooted only in only one intelligence. But this is so often what happens. With all good intent a teacher teaches through various ways and it's great, but when it comes time to test they'll often learn toward linguistic or logical-mathematical skills.
But are tests really that great anyway? It seems that things such as portfolios are a better gauge of how a student is doing overall. Ways to document student performances include: Anecdotal records, work samples, audio files, video, photographs, student journals, student-kept charts, sociograms, informal assessments, informal use of standardized tests, student interviews, criterion-referenced assessments, checklists and calendar records. Collecting these things ensures authentic assessment instead of the standardized testing which seems to focus largely on what a student cannot do instead of what they can.
Some projects may seem geared more specifically to one kind of intelligence, but with just a few words (build a, write a, write a song about, etc.) a project can have a completely new context and reach kids it was unable to reach previously. This returns to the idea of "changing the verb" which is something I hope to implement in my future tests and projects, so that they're not constantly being asked to only "explain". As long as students are all achieving a similar understanding of a subject and reaching the goals set out for them, the path they use to get there can be as different as they like.
MI Portfolios are a great way to show all that a student has done, and can be set up in most any way which best fits the situation. That said, the "Five C's of Portfolio Development" should be present. These include: Celebration, Cognition, Communication, Cooperation, and Competency. To quote page 147, "Ultimately, MI theory provides an assessment framework within which students can have their rich and complex lives acknowledged, celebrated, and nurtured."
Table of Contents
Kiera Timme
In Chapter 10, of Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, the author Thomas Armstrong describes what he refers to as “authentic assessment” (Armstrong, p131). Authentic assessment is a context based way of measuring student success. Unlike standardized tests, MI incorporated assessment assess student success in terms of the real world. According to the text the two important components of authentic assessment are observations and documentation. The chapter provides several documentation ideas which include: anecdotal records, work samples, videos, student journals, and audio files. Armstrong notes that there are several assessment projects that have been started which are founded on MI principles, such as the “Key Learning Community”(Armstrong, p135) project in which video portfolios are developed to monitor student progress. These videos are passed on to each subsequent teacher throughout the student’s academic career. Moreover, this chapter describes the ways in which MI theory provides not only eight instructional approaches, but eight different means of assessment.
As the text stated, if I intend to use MI theory to help me assess students, then I will also need to use it when I am teaching students. I definitely support the idea of assessing students in a real-world setting. I don’t believe standardized tests, or any single test, can provide a full picture of a students’ achievements. I think the idea that we continuously collect data, taking snapshots of a student’ progress throughout the course of the unit would be a more effective means of accurately assessing student ability. Personally, I do not mind how students show me they are learning, as long as they can demonstrate they are achieving the desired goals. My job as the teacher is to make sure I create an environment where this is possible.Frank Makuch
The chapter goes over different ways to assess multiple intelligences. If we teach by appealing to different intelligences, then we should perform assessments using similar practices as well. There is also an idea of authentic context in which students show what they know in a practical application. The chapter lists and explains many different ways of assessment, too many to list here. Some assessment projects have been conducted in different schools throughout the country. Among these was Arts Propel which was a five year high school arts project. The focus was on domain projects, or exercises and activities to develop sensitivity to compositional features, and processfolios, which were collections of student work through the process of creation. The chapter went through many ways to phrase a question so that it would work for different multiple intelligences. These are creative ways to get the student thinking critically. Most standardized test appeal to linguistic intelligences. This is unfair to students who are not proficient in that area but are still critical thinkers who just think in a different way. Portfolios are an exciting new idea being developed. Portfolios show so many things, they help students reflect on their work, celebrate their work, and allow parents to see what students are doing. This is important in a classroom with multiple intelligences. In my classroom I will try to incorporate many of the intelligences when thinking about assessment. I understand that standardized test do not give certain people a fair chance at showing what they know about a subject.
Garrett Hodgkins
Chapter 10 goes over the importance of assessing students in a differentiated way, dealing with all of the multiple intelligences. It stresses the point of what is the use of teaching them in a differentiated way if you are only going to test them in a standard way? They may have learned the material in a way that was best suited to their learning style, but when tested in an opposite way all of that might as well have gone out the window. It further goes into different ways that you can assess how a student is doing in a particular area from observing particular actions or work they have done, along with how to relate assessment questions to each area of intelligence ( I particularly loved the Huck Finn examples).This chapter gave me some good insight on what I will have to do if I expect to have a differentiated classroom, and how to assess that differentiated classroom. It showed the importance of not only teaching to address all students' intelligences, but to also assess them in the same way. If a student learns a subject in a way that suits his intelligence, but is only assessed in something the opposite, it is not assessing that student fairly. I really enjoyed the examples they gave on how to form questions to suit each learning style, and that is certainly something i will use in a future classroom.
Sean Falasca
Chapter 10 covers assessment. Basically, if we can allow students to learn in eight different ways or more, then why should we test them only one way? Standardized test are great for logical/mathematical intelligences, but does not truly incorporate every type of learner. Designing different ways for each type of learner to show you they actually understand content and didn’t just memorize it for a test is when true learning takes place. I feel like teachers have been teaching “How to Take a Standardized Test” for far too long. What good is it to a student when they needcertain skills later in life, but forgot them because they didn’t have a full understanding and only memorized specific answers just to pass the test. So, observe your students and see them exhibit signs of what type of learner they are. We can definitely assess eight or more different ways if we know students learn eight or more different ways. When I have my own classroom I will ensure my students that they will not be left behind and that I will always teach to their needs and not mine. Also, I like the idea of keeping a journal or folder of student work so that I know what each of my students need to learn and what type of work they are capable of. I think its something all teachers should do with every student they. Collaborating with colleagues to build a file or journal for a student for each class or grade level can show the growth of a student over their academic career. These are also good because parents love this type of assessment rather than just a letter grade. Showing evidence that you care about the success of their child and the advancement of their knowledge over the years would make any parent happy.
Tori Penney
Chapter 10 of MI focuses on assessment and how to properly assess student’s mastery through their different MI’s. The purpose of assessment is to make sure that the students honestly understand what they should have learned. Just as students learn in many different ways, they also show what they have learned in many different ways. Tests just don’t cut it for every student. Especially standardized tests, which simply test whether or not a student can recall memorized information quickly and easily, not whether or not they understand the concepts and can use them. As a teacher, I should let students show me their progress in a way other than a test, to make sure I am actually seeing that the student has mastered the content, and not that they can simply pass my test or understand my questions. Like I said earlier, I feel like teachers are just trying to see if students can read their minds. Tests are not supposed to be puzzles. A great example of a teacher that gave me the option was my high school English AP Lit Teacher, for our final project she let us choose. We presented her with our ideas, and if she felt it would document our understanding, she would allow it. I made a mixed CD with songs about Lord of the Flies, and I made a lyric booklet with both the lyrics and why the song was relevant to the book. It was lots of fun. I plan on doing these kinds of assessments in my classroom.Tess Perry
Integrating the MI theory and assessment can be done successfully. Chapter 10 concentrated on combining the MI theory and assessment. The traditional method of assessment, paper and pencil, question and answer, can be used but it will not provide the teacher with well-rounded evidence of student mastery. Using MI during the assessment process will allow students to express their competency of the subject in a variety of ways. If a is student is not strong in the linguist intelligence they will not be able to articulate their understanding in an essay, but may be able to express their understanding in a different method, creating an interpretive dance (kinesthetic) or by singing a song (musical). One example of assessment using multiple intelligences mentioned in this chapter was to have the students create an MI portfolio. MI portfolios allow students to exhibit evidence of comprehension in a variety of ways. This will also show the teacher the student’s knowledge and skills and provide ample evidence of mastery.Creating MI portfolios that display student’s work in a variety of intelligences will be used in my classroom. Showing off student’s talents and abilities should be a priority. Developing areas in which students are skilled appeals to students and keeps them engaged in schoolwork. Also, by incorporating all 8 MIs in the portfolios will enable students to have the opportunity to develop other MIs that they may not be as developed in. Using other MIs will only enhance their overall learning and growth. I think that by assessing students knowledge in a variety of ways will benefit the teachers understanding and appreciation for all her students. If teachers expect all students to excel at one specific task many talented students will not be able to showcase their abilities.
Kaitlyn Bowie
The focus of this chapter is on utilizing the multiple intelligence practices an then using those same practices when it comes to assessments. Standardized testing forces students to recall information quickly and in an unnatural setting, which is not conducive to accurate scoring. True assessments are meant to draw out what students have learned and build upon it in a conscious way. These kinds of assessments also match closely to the context in which the student learned so as to jog that part of their brain. Multiple intelligence assessment also gives students options in the way they want to be assessed. Whether this is orally, physically, or through writing, it appeals to a student’s comfort level. This is not meant to make the test easier in terms of content, but easier in terms of cognitive figuring. A teacher can further reinforce this positive association with assessment by quickly correcting and providing feedback for the student, so that they can build upon what they had correct and what they had wrong.This idea of pushing multiple intelligence theory beyond instruction is both new and intriguing to me. It makes sense that a student who receives alternative teaching instruction on a daily basis would still have trouble with traditional testing. Some of my past teachers were willing to allow alternative projects when it came to sub-units, but would rarely ever an alternative to unit exams. I certainly would have had instances where I would have felt better writing a paper of some sort than sitting down for an exam, but I never felt asking for an alternative was a option. I believe I would like to extend that option to my students, but I would require significant proof that they would not physically be able to take the exam or I felt that their knowledge was not accurately being exhibited.
Jon Delorme
Chapter 10 – MI Theory and Assessment
The challenge for educators is to make an assessment that authentically measures the learning that a student accomplishes from a lesson. Chapter 10 discusses the downfall of standardized tests and explains how we can combine assessment and Multiple Intelligences theory. One authentic assessment type is simply observing the student while he or she solves problems. Documenting student observations through anecdotal records, work samples, audio files, and many more are a great way to keep a running record of students. This information can then be used to cater to the student’s needs. I like the idea of keeping small notes, but I do not know if I should ethically videotape my students? I need more clarification on when and how this would be appropriate.
One of the most important points made in the chapter is, “the theory of multiple intelligences suggests that any instructional objective can be taught in at least eight different ways, so too does it imply that any subject can be assessed in at least eight different ways (136).” Meaning, why do we need standardized tests that only allow students to express what they learned linguistically or logically-mathematically? Thomas Armstrong gives us the example of Huck Finn. Instead of a multiple choice questions (resembling the SATs), students should be allowed to pick from eight different types of answers, all connected to one multiple intelligence. As a teacher it is important for me to remember that choice in assessment is key. In history much is linguistic. But my challenge is to allow my students to express themselves in whatever way suits them best. When I start to draft up my own test questions and projects I need to always be vigilant that I account for my different learners.
Caroline Murphy
I really liked everything the chapter had to say about measuring students’ process against their own achievement, as opposed to measuring them only against each other or against a standard that someone else has set for them. Improvement and progress are definitely very important in the classroom, but if a student is improving compared to their own performance, isn’t that all that matters? Understandably, there is a level of proficiency that we want all students to reach, and it’s not to say that we shouldn’t still be aiming high for our students. However, I think it is reasonable that if a student continues to progress further and further based on their own achievement, we can assume that the curriculum and instruction has been a success and, barring a change in significant factors, the student will continue to improve. I think a major idea that both this book and Fair Isn’t Always Equal are trying to emphasize is that assessment should have a positive foundation. It should encourage progress and personal accomplishment instead of just numbers and scores. The chapter is right that we can’t differentiate instruction but not assessment; the personalized learning approach has to be carried through in all levels of learning. What I learned from this chapter is that assessment can be adapted to suit all levels of learning and forms of intelligence, and as teachers it is our duty to find ways to design tests and projects around the needs of our students so that we can get an accurate picture of their success in school.Alison Hutchins
This chapter was another one that talked very in depth about student assessment. This one in particular put focus on testing students and measuring how they are progressing based on their earlier work, rather than by pitting them against other students. Another interesting topic it talked about was assessing different learning styles. It talks about how even if you do teach with multiple learning styles, unless you find ways to tap into these while doing assessments, you will not really know how well that differentiated instruction worked. This is why allowing students opportunities to use their strengths to show you what they know is really important. MI portfolios are another great way to monitor student growth while also helping to differentiate their instruction and assessment. As stated in an earlier posts, I really like the idea of portfolios to show student and teacher alike how that particular learner is progressing.
This is also all really important when it comes to keeping a student's interest. I, personally, enjoy writing essays, but I also like to break out and express my understanding in more creative formats when given the opportunity. I believe that students learn best when they are comfortable, and that working with their strengths will only help them grow. Giving students ways to express what they know in whatever way they feel that they can best convey that understanding, as well as letting them create something that will really hold and accelerate their interest in the context at hand, is something that I believe will play a very important role in my future classroom.
Amy Jones
Chapter 10 focuses on authentic assessments. It provides examples of different assessment strategies that were very helpful. Some of the examples are:- Anecdotal records: journal of each student
- Work samples: samples of their own work
- Audio files: Record the student being himself and also throughout their learning process
- Video: Record presentations or group study times
- Student Journals: Have them reflect, doodle and communicate with you
- Student-Kept charts: have them create visual aid in their progress throughout the year
- Sociograms: visual record of student interactions
- Informal assessments: non standardized test
- Informal use of Standardized tests: Relax the time limits, have them answer through drawings music and many more ways
- Student interviews: have an open stream of communication
The chapter also states that “the most important prerequisite to authentic assessment is observation”( pg 131), which as teachers makes sense. I feel as though assessing students with actual pieces of work is easier to grade, but assessing the student on if they really understand the information can be easily accomplished by simply observing the student.The chapter goes onto explain how just by rewording different tasks you can help your students learning in the way that they learn best.
Developing portfolios was also mentioned in this chapter. There are goals that need to be reached with these portfolios and they are easily remembered by “the five c’s of portfolio development” ( pg 143)
- Celebration: acknowledge students accomplishments during the year.
- Cognition: helping students reflect on their work
- Communication: to communicate with those in the students life to share how they are progressing
- Cooperation: to help students produce and evaluate each other’s work
- Competency: establish criteria by which the students work can be compared to another
This chapter was very informative and it gave me some great ideas when assessing my students.Molly Olsen
This chapter begins explaining that it simply wouldn't make any sense to teach a curriculum through all eight intelligences and then give a test rooted only in only one intelligence. But this is so often what happens. With all good intent a teacher teaches through various ways and it's great, but when it comes time to test they'll often learn toward linguistic or logical-mathematical skills.But are tests really that great anyway? It seems that things such as portfolios are a better gauge of how a student is doing overall. Ways to document student performances include: Anecdotal records, work samples, audio files, video, photographs, student journals, student-kept charts, sociograms, informal assessments, informal use of standardized tests, student interviews, criterion-referenced assessments, checklists and calendar records. Collecting these things ensures authentic assessment instead of the standardized testing which seems to focus largely on what a student cannot do instead of what they can.
Some projects may seem geared more specifically to one kind of intelligence, but with just a few words (build a, write a, write a song about, etc.) a project can have a completely new context and reach kids it was unable to reach previously. This returns to the idea of "changing the verb" which is something I hope to implement in my future tests and projects, so that they're not constantly being asked to only "explain". As long as students are all achieving a similar understanding of a subject and reaching the goals set out for them, the path they use to get there can be as different as they like.
MI Portfolios are a great way to show all that a student has done, and can be set up in most any way which best fits the situation. That said, the "Five C's of Portfolio Development" should be present. These include: Celebration, Cognition, Communication, Cooperation, and Competency. To quote page 147, "Ultimately, MI theory provides an assessment framework within which students can have their rich and complex lives acknowledged, celebrated, and nurtured."